Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates took to the airwaves Sunday morning to sell the Obama administration’s intervention in Libya to a skeptical public, while emphasizing its narrow scope and hailing it already as a humanitarian success.

“It appears that his efforts have been stopped,” Clinton said, about Muammar Qadhafi on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

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VIDEO: Gates, Clinton on Libya

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“He was clearly on his way to Benghazi,” she said of the longtime Libyan dictator. “He was intending by his own words to show no mercy. To go house to house. I think we’ve prevented a great humanitarian disaster, which is always hard to point to something that didn’t happen. But I— I believe we did. And now, we’re beginning to see, because of the good work of the coalition to see his troops begin to turn back toward the west. And to see the opposition begin to reclaim ground they had lost.”

The latest Gallup poling showed just 47 percent of Americans backing the administration’s Libya intervention, the lowest approval rating for any American military campaign in at least three decades. In addition, the administration has faced tough questions from lawmakers in both parties about whether Congress was properly consulted on the U.S. military role - and whether Libya had been unreasonably singled out in a time in which multiple Arab countries are experiencing upheaval.

Clinton said that universal condemnation - Arab league backing and and the United Nations Security Council resolution - were all instrumental in pushing the U.S. toward a military response in Libya.

“The international community moved with great speed in part because there’s a history here,” she said. “This is someone who’s behaved in a way that’s caused great concern in the past 40 plus years in the Arab world, the African world, Europe and the United States.”

The administration continues to face questions about articulating an overall strategy — why it chose to intervene militarily in Libya, while crackdowns against protesters continue in Syria, Bahrain, Yemen, and other Arab nations, some of which are longtime American allies.

Clinton defended the administration’s peacekeeping and humanitarian record in other countries, but emphasized that the Libya intervention had large-scale international support and presented a very different and very dire humanitarian situation.

“Each of these situations is unique,” Clinton said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday, noting, for example, that the administration deplores the violence in Syria.

“In Ivory Coast, we have a U.N. peacekeeping force which we are supporting,” said Clinton on ABC’s “This Week,” in an interview with Jake Tapper. “So you know, each of these situations is different but in Libya when a leader says spare nothing, show no mercy and calls out air — air force attacks on his own people, that crosses a line that people in the world had decided they could not tolerate.”

Readers' Comments (273)

Using, as 'Congressional' justification for acts of war, a Senate only nonbinding resolution to censure Libya for bombing its people that had buried in it a call to 'prepare' for future protective action up to a no fly zone is nonsense. It wasn't even read on the floor, just the title which said nothing about a no fly zone was read, and it passed by MOTION not vote, with only those who happened to be present deciding not to object, based on the title and the fact that it was a NONBINDING RESOLUTION.

And the 'international community' is irrelevant if you haven't even followed our Constitution. SENATOR Obama in December, 2007 said it correctly:

The President does not have power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation.

I hope the following video helps to answer John Boehners "questions" about why we are in Libya. Thats what TERRORism looks like Mr. Boehner. It's written all over that poor womans face after enduring 2 days of being repeatedly and brutally raped and torured by 15 of Gadhafis thugs.

The administration continues to face questions about articulating an overall strategy — why it chose to intervene militarily in Libya, while crackdowns against protesters continue in Syria, Bahrain, Yemen, and other Arab nations, some of which are longtime American allies.

Clinton defended the administration’s peacekeeping and humanitarian record in other countries, but emphad that the Libya intervention had large-scale international support and presented a very different and very dire humanitarian situation.

WOW! I wonder if Clinton had to dodge sniper fire to get these important Kinetic facts about this non-war of Obama's.

I thought Gates had more credibility that to deny civillian casualties. We could not loose that many Tomahawks without some colleteral damage...either that or the US Navy trigger pullers are terrible shots or the target painters are color blind.

I think one of them is lying and the other is swearing to it....which one is lying is up to conjecture.

While I agree with the military actions taken and with Clinton's nuanced approach, there is still the issue of political spin. Moved quickly? Khaddafi was to Benghazi. So, maybe compared to a snail it was quick - had they dithered another day.... The idea that our "suggestions" in places like Syria are going to accomplish much appears to be spin. The Syrian regime doesn't have much use for us and they are a minority so the only way they stay in power is the status quo - and any regime that has had emergency powers since the sixties isn't democratically inclined.

The former NSC guy's suggestion about anti tank missiles being useful regarding the no fly zone is laughable. Ever seen a flying tank? Might level the playing field on the ground a bit but that assumes the recipient knows how to use the weapon. How many Americans have ever been trained to use anti-tank weapons? The American Army in the Revolutionary War improved after von Steuben trained the troops starting in Valley Forge. At this point, the rebels are basically an armed mob. They need organization and training as much as weapons. While some Libyan military personnel have joined the rebels, they haven't had time to train (we give about 8 weeks of basic training and then 3 months or so of specialty training -- just as a frame of reference). Perhaps this is one reason some are now talking about months long enforcement.

Our foolish wayward leader has some unintended consequences from his so called freedom speeches across the middle east last year. According to Jon Stewart of the daily show the middleast activists were benign for generations until Obama gave his human rights speeches while on vacation last year and promised support for all who stood up for democracy. Many freedom fighters are being slaughtered in his wake due to his irresponsible rhetoric. When it comes to foriegn policy he is like a bull in the china cabinet...

Of course the left is going to "tout success in Libya"........sorry but Gates doesn't look or sound that convinced and was probably dragged kicking and screaming to this interview. Gates thought early on that we were going in with no real plan.........loyal Clinton is being thrown under the bus by the dems to save our president from further damage moving toward '12......its all spin. Who's really looking like a leader here, Clinton or our president?

Using, as 'Congressional' justification for acts of war, a Senate only nonbinding resolution to censure Libya for bombing its people that had buried in it a call to 'prepare' for future protective action up to a no fly zone is nonsense. It wasn't even read on the floor, just the title which said nothing about a no fly zone was read, and it passed by MOTION not vote, with only those who happened to be present deciding not to object, based on the title and the fact that it was a NONBINDING RESOLUTION.

first; the resolution passed march 1st wasn't a "censure" resolution- it specifically called for the UNSC to pass a no-fly zone resolution.all

second; the Iraq Liberation Act passed in '98 was also non-binding and it didn't stop the previous administration from using it, in part, to "pre-emptively" invade iraq.

let's look at what the GOP ranking member of senate armed services had to say on the floor introducing a resolution with joe lieberman... http://mccain.senate.gov/publi... snips;

“The Resolution that Senator Lieberman and I are introducing calls on the President to take a number of steps immediately to reverse this impending disaster:

“First, the President should recognize Libya’s Transitional National Council, which is based in Benghazi but representative of communities across the country, as the sole legitimate governing authority in Libya – just as the government of France has done. Some continue to say that we do not know who the opposition is and thus we cannot assist them. This is ridiculous. They have been organized for weeks. Their senior leaders consist of longstanding critics of Qaddafi as well as officials who recently broke with his regime. And they are asking – pleading – for international support. Qaddafi has forfeited the right to power through his vicious actions; we must recognize the opposition government.

“Second, the President should take immediate steps to implement a no-fly zone in Libya with international support. Not only has the Libyan opposition government itself called for this. The Gulf Cooperation Council has called a no-fly zone. The head of the Organization of the Islamic Conference has called for a no-fly zone. And on Saturday, the Arab League called for a no-fly zone. The French and British governments have voiced their support and have drafted a UN Security Council resolution to implement a no-fly zone. It is long past time for the President to answer these calls for international leadership.

that was the 14th of march and 2 days after the arab league vote supporting a no-fly zone. ALL along congress has been out in front of the WH on intervening in libya and now that the president, having established the necessary and proper international support has acted- just as has been suggested- congress acts as if some major breech of presidential authority has occurred. hell, congress has been green-lighting WH action for weeks and no one said a word about needing an AUMF. needless to say other presidents have taken military action without an AUMF as well.

The administration is trying to justify this action as a humanitarian effort to protect civilians yet Saddam gassing tens of thousands of Kurds in '88 and ongoing torture of his citizens was no justification for deposing him.

I completely support deposing 'ddafi, but they need to be honest and admit they're attempting regime change for the purpose of securing European oil sources.